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The court has issued orders stopping the planned demolition of Gikomba Market following an urgent application.
In directions issued on March 4, 2026, at the Milimani Environment and Land Court, the court certified the matter as urgent and ordered that the current status of the suit land be maintained pending an inter partes hearing scheduled for March 10, 2026.
“The Court has considered the Notice of Motion dated 3rd March 2026 filed by the Petitioner under a Certificate of Urgency. Upon consideration, the Court is satisfied that the issues raised therein are urgent but are best determined upon hearing the parties inter partes. Accordingly, the Court makes the following orders,” said the court.
Court Halts Planned Demolition of Gikomba Market
The case, filed under a certificate of urgency, lists Paul Karanja Kamunge, Justus Kinyua and three others as petitioners against Nairobi City County, the Water Resources Authority and another respondent.
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The court directed the applicants to serve the respondents immediately, with the respondents required to file and serve their responses within two days of service.
Applicants were also granted leave to file a supplementary affidavit within two days of receiving the responses.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino welcomed the court’s decision, saying his legal team had moved to court to stop the demolition.
He described Gikomba as a vital economic hub that supports thousands of families, small traders and workers who depend on the market for their livelihoods. He called on all parties to respect the court’s orders and allow due process to take its course.
“Through our legal team, we moved to court to stop the demolition of Gikomba Market, and the Court has issued orders to stop the demolition,” said the Embakasi East legislator.
Babu Owino further argued that development must never come at the cost of humanity, stressing that the people, their businesses, and their future matter and must be protected.
About the Market
Gikomba Market is the largest open-air market in Kenya and the wider East African region. Located in Nairobi’s Kamukunji sub-county, it is a massive economic hub that supports the livelihoods of over two million Kenyans and generates approximately Ksh 12.6 billion in revenue annually.
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Gikomba is most famous for second-hand clothing, shoes, and bags sourced from around the world. It serves as the primary distribution point for these goods across the country.
Beyond the sale of clothes, fresh groceries (including fish from Lake Victoria), hardware, timber, and locally manufactured furniture are also sold there.
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The image shows court hammer, which signifies judicial decisions. PHOTO/ODPP